Against the Winds of Fate
by spockjasperlokizukowriting
Summary: Different POVs for my other story, Hiding My Masked Affection, about the events and decisions made. A secret group of assassins wants Katara's blood to re-start the war. No one can expect the events that follow. What will one fateful night do to them?
1. Betrayal

**Against the Winds of Fate**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. **

**If you read Hiding My Masked Affection first, you might like this story a little more. :) Enjoy!**

**One- **_**Betrayal**_

_Sokka_

I remember a time when I used to look up at my father. I was young and he was an adult, towering above me with his might. He was the chief of my tribe and that made me like a prince; I held power but he held more. Every time I looked up at his face I would be blinded by the sun. So I became his shadow, following him everywhere and mimicking his actions. My mother would only laugh and my sister would her point finger accusingly, telling me to 'be myself', but I'd never been an original person. I had to have an example, something to follow obediently. It came in different forms at different times; most often it was my sister, as I jumped in the water to save her from drowning. Or it might've been Gran-Gran as she taught me how to hunt across the icy tundra. There were moments in my early childhood that it was my mother who taught me. I would clutch her dress and hide behind it, shying away from people with foreign faces.

And then, during a Fire Nation raid, I would follow any Water Tribe warrior I could see rushing into battle, my boomerang ready in my hand and courage thundering in my heart.

But I couldn't think of a better person, a more accurate person to follow than my father. He wouldn't, _couldn't_ make mistakes, and he'd always have a hand extended to me with a smile on his face. I remember that smile. I have the same one. Katara claims that it's goofy but I think it's bold. Fearless like a moose-lion and enchanting as a snow-owl.

It hurt so much when he closed his hand to me, tears swimming in his bright blue eyes as his smile faded. I didn't want to believe that he would be going away for a long time, leaving me, his little shadow, in the wintry weather of home while he heated the hopeful hearts of the world and won the war. I thought I was ready to go with him. I knew I could handle myself in the chaos of battle.

I didn't understand and protested as best I could.

A man, he said, was defined by the ability to know where he was needed the most. He told me that I was needed with my sister, with my village. He didn't understand. What about my needs? I needed him! I needed something to follow. Without him I was lost, forced to stand up on my feet and create my own shadow.

But I never found a way to stand up.

I would always come so close to it, so close to brushing my fingers tips against the sun, but trouble would always arise and I would stumble and fall. My face would land in icy snow and the bitter taste of failure would linger in my mouth. I would throw my boomerang to hit my enemy without touching him but it would always miss, coming too late to my rescue.

I didn't understand how my father could know exactly what to say to people to reassure them and I never got how Katara could wield so much power and know when to use it to protect people. She had potential. My father had everything. Me? I'm just a sixteen year old kid with a boomerang. I didn't ask for all these confusing signs and difficult obstacles. What powers do I have? Just an overprotective nature around my sister and humor. Not much to stand in battle. I think that's why my father left me here, using pathetic words of wisdom to calm me into a sense of comprehension. He knew I would be a failure. He knew that if I strayed too far from the men whom protected me, I would be slaughtered. Gone, just like that. Katara explained to me that he wouldn't be able to deal with the loss of his son so soon after the loss of his wife. And I believed her. That made perfect sense...at the time. Apparently he didn't see it that way because one day, two years and a half years after the freeing of the Avatar, we got a letter that explained everything to us.

His words were so painful I have them memorized...

_Dear Sokka and Katara,_

_It's so nice to be able to contact you again! The war has been __won and_ _Fire Lord Ozai has been defeated by the Avatar. The tribesman will be safe to come home again. We haven't lost many and_ _the new Fire Lord is being very lenient with the compensations for our battle wounds. Soon the tribesmen will begin their safe journey home to you._ _I won't be coming on the_ _ship though._ _I'll be staying in the Fire Nation to attend to some business; there's another little reason keeping me here._ _I'm going to try and explain it to you the best I can and I_ _know you probably won't understand. You're_ _both very young but just_ _know that I am still so_ _proud of you. I didn't do this to betray our tribe or you. In fact, I did it for you. I did it in the hope that everything will be okay again. _

_Remember your mother? She had Katara's eyes. She was beautiful, like the moon. She kept __us together_ _and she provided the foundation for every step we took. Everywhere I looked she'd_ _be there waiting for me to come home and take her in my arms. She raised you both beautifully and_ _did far more for this family than I ever dreamed she'd do. That's why I fell in love with her. When she died, I thought I could never love again. My heart was torn into_ _so many pieces that I think I lost some of them. When she died, part of me_ _died with her. The pain still haunts my every thought. _

_So please forgive me when I tell you that __now, I have found someone else. She's like your mother, similar in so many wonderful ways. She's got eyes the color of the most exquisite purple Water Tribe dye and_ _she has skin that matches luminescent moonlight. She's so kind, selfless and fell in love with my children the moment I spoke your names._ _She loves me in the same, desperate way that I love her, and we were wed not long after meeting._ _She's the sun that my world_ _revolves around and I can't bring myself to leave ever again the person_ _I adore to the point of madness. What's best is that she is Fire Nation. The daughter of a peaceful Fire Nation noble, in fact, who always opposed_ _the war and helped end it. Her family has been good to me in ways you will never know. _

_I justify my acts with my heart, my heart this new love has set ablaze, and with the guilt I feel for not providing my children with a mother._ _Though she has little experience with children, she is more than ready to take on the challenge of motherhood. She'll be the best she can ever be to you, and can't wait to set her eyes on you for the first time. So when the ship bearing the men of our tribe_ _comes, take it back to the Earth Kingdom and come to us. The ship arrives in less than a week so be ready with_ _all that you cannot bear to part with. You'll have the most enticing adventure living in the Fire Nation. There's no snow and every color that you can imagine!_ _The sun sets and rises every day and_ _the people are very hospitable. Be with me once more, I beg you. Meet your new mother. You'll fall in love with her too, I promise you that. _

_If you cannot come, I'll always be here waiting. If you do come, you won't have to stay long. You'll stay as long as you like or just for the summer. __You can leave for the Southern Water Tribe in the winter._ _Bato will take charge of the tribe_ _until Sokka comes of age and_ _then, my son, you shall lead our village with the confidence and power_ _I know you possess. And for you, Katara, I can secure a passage to our sister tribe up north to learn waterbending from Master Pakku. You'll became the master you were always destined to be._

_I love you both beyond words and I look forward to having you and your new mother all in my __arms: the_ _family that was always meant to be. _

_From your loving father,_

_Hakoda_

I think that the night the letter arrived was the first time I remembered my mother's face in years. It was also the first time I cried, screaming in pain at the moon and begging for this not to be real. The ship docked at our harbour right on schedule and though I looked for the strong, radiant face I knew so well, I only saw familiar men I couldn't name.

The pain gnaws me from the inside out. And so I just sit and wait for it go away, not having an example to follow.

- -

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope that you enjoyed this. Also, thank you eleventy7 for beta-ing this! You really made the difference!**

**-spockjasperzukowriting **


	2. Gulf

**Against the Winds of Fate**

spockjasperzukowriting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. **

**Thank you eleventy7 for beta-ing this and thank you wonderful readers for reading and reviewing! **

**Two**_**- Gulf**_

As I watched my husband write the letter to his children, I couldn't help but feel the first stirrings of anxiety and worry. Would they accept me, despite my Fire Nation heritage? And would my nation accept them, despite their Water Tribe heritage?

Hakoda was bent over the letter, writing neatly and carefully. He only occasionally stopped to stare off into space, pondering how to explain our relationship to Katara and Sokka. I looked down at my hands, my chest tightening with a jumbled, chaotic array of feelings. I should have been soothed by the garden around me. I should have been elated with the love I harboured for my new husband as I watched him sit in the brightly lit porch, filling the paper with explanations I knew were analogies. They wouldn't accept me. I was Fire Nation. My cousin had been part of the Southern Raiders: the men who had killed their mother.

I suddenly found it difficult to breathe, although I tried not to let it show. After all, Fire Nation ladies did not show weaknesses, emotional nor physical. Even if I couldn't bend, I had to show strength. I had to burn brightly like the sun. I exuded as much confidence as I could but I had never really experienced such overwhelming doubt as this.

Hakoda emerged from his daze and then wrote down a few more words, finishing off a paragraph with a delicate flourish. He groaned and sat back in his chair, running his fingers through his hair in a manner that only he possessed. He sighed and peered over his shoulder at me, offering me a forced smile. I took my legs off of the velvet couch I was perched upon and patted the spot next to me.

He snorted and shook his head but got up anyway, walking over to me with heavy steps. He plopped himself down in the couch and pulled me tightly into his arms. I rested my head upon his shoulder and sighed.

"I thought this would be easier," he started, chewing his lip and entwining my fingers through his lengthy ones.

I gazed at our hands, smiling and agreeing. "I have never yet seen a poet capture love on paper," I admitted. "The sacrifices and actions that love compels people to make…it's such a variety, who could possibly write it upon paper?"

Hakoda twisted his face and looked at the ground guiltily, pulling his arms from around me and slumping. For a frightening moment, he had years of separation from home and family written all over his face. I was once again reminded of what my world had personally put Hakoda through.

He shut his eyes and took in a deep breath. "You're very brave."

I cupped his cheek and turned his face to mine. "You're braver and always have been. You know that. Being in love with someone is nothing to be afraid of. You have to stand by it. We're meant for each other, and I'm willing to defend how I feel about you!"

He pursed his lips. "You don't know my children, Suiya. Sokka has always needed me the way I used to be. How I was before Kya died. He's always been a person needing routine and consistency. And Katara, she – " He stopped, his eyes glazing over as he turned away from me.

I pulled his face back to mine. "Hakoda, don't question our right to each other! I mean, we could…give Katara waterbending lessons! Enroll Sokka in a school, or something! The Fire Nation isn't that bad!" I protested.

"But we can't pretend the past didn't happen," he replied, grimacing.

"So, let's shape the future into something different," I retorted. "We can make something out of nothing, just like what the Avatar is doing with this world. Just tell me how to fill up this gulf you feel between your children and yourself, and I'll do it."

He shook his head, his weary expression hardening. "Suiya, you aren't listening. The divide between us is big enough all ready. You can't see how deep it is because you are only on one side of it."

"I'm on both sides," I tried.

"I can't see even see the bottom, and I don't know how to build a bridge to my children. How could you even know?"

I closed my eyes, suppressing hurt feelings as I cleared my face of any emotion that threatened to betray me. "Hakoda, your children love you as much as I do. They know what it's like to need somebody. But you're leaving someone else out of the picture."

"Who?" he asked.

"Kya."

"Suiya –"

"Think about her needs as well as your children's. She would want you to try. If you can't look into their eyes while you give them explanations, then you would've rubbed salt in their wounds. You have legitimate reasons to be with me. Your children deserve to know what they are." I looked up at him, pleading with my eyes.

He was staring into the garden, gazing at a blue flower. He was off in his own world again, thinking about things I would never know or understand. I clenched my hands together. At least I had attempted to persuade him.

We stayed silent for many passing minutes; I watched him while he stared at the beautiful nature around us. Both of us were searching for answers, anything to illuminate a solution. A breeze swept through the garden, rustling the flowers and wafting sweet scents around the porch. Hakoda was starting to relax, his shoulders untangling as he sank deeper into the couch. I knew that we wouldn't be talking again for a while, not until he had made up his mind. He was a careful strategist. He thought more than he spoke. So I decided to leave him alone with his thoughts.

I got up and straightened my shoulders, making my way to the front door with poise I had practised for years. But just as I reach out to open the door, I heard a strange sound come from the metal gates connecting a gap in the mansion's walls. There was a screech followed by multiple footsteps pounding on the cobble-stone walkway.

I turned around to see three Fire Nation royal soldiers race through the garden and leap up the porch steps, halting to bow before my husband and I. Hakoda stood up, both of us raising our eyebrows in concern.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hakoda questioned, sounding much like the Water Tribe chief he was.

The highest-ranked soldier looked up, appearing nervous.

"We come bearing important news from the Fire Lord."

I nodded. "Go on, then."

She stood up, trying to keep her face clear of fear. "The Avatar was attacked late last night at the Southern Markets," she stated, drawing in a sharp breath.

The air around us tensed. Hakoda's eyes widened as my heart skipped a beat.

"Who's responsible?" he asked, crossing his arms and reading the soldier's expression impatiently.

The soldier shook her head, guilt crossing her face. "The Avatar wouldn't say. There were no witnesses to supply us with information otherwise."

"Is Aang okay?" I interrupted worriedly.

"He's sustained multiple lacerations and his arm was struck by lightning. The lightning threw him backwards into a building, and the damages have caused massive internal bleeding of the stomach and chest. His condition has not been getting worse, but our own healers cannot sustain him for long," she summarized, teetering on the edge of perspiration. I could tell it was taking all of her effort not to clench her hands. " The Avatar mentioned while momentarily conscious that waterbending could be used for healing. Chief Hakoda, do you know of any waterbending healers that could heal him?"

Hakoda crossed his arms and stared at the floor, deep in thought. I searched his face, trying not to get lost in the heavy tide of emotion that was washing over his features. He finally nodded, his mind returning to the present once more. This put the soldier momentarily at ease.

"There are many skilled waterbenders at the Northern Water Tribe," he began. "Our sister tribe has segregated the genders of their waterbenders heavily: All the men are for fighting, and the women are for healing. The Northern Water Tribe has many fine healers that could mend even the most fatal wounds." He looked the soldier deep in the eye. "They would be hard-pressed to welcome you inside their walls, but if the Avatar is as badly hurt as you say, they would oblige you with some of their finest healers."

The soldier looked slightly panicked. "The Northern Water Tribe is so far away," she pointed out. "Is there not a waterbender in your own tribe that could help us?"

Hakoda was momentarily caught off guard. "Er- I..." He tripped over his words. I averted my gaze. I knew the only name he could bring to mind was his daughter's.

He finally stood a little straighter, crossing his arms and giving the soldiers a hard look. "For the last few years, the Fire Nation has kept all our native waterbenders in prisons. They were only recently returned to their families and their homelands. How could you possibly bring them back to the place they no doubtlessly loath so much?"

She gulped. "I apologize, my lord. I wasn't suggesting we bring them here, but the Fire Lord has told us that the Avatar is in no condition to travel," she explained, on edge once more.

Hakoda scowled, holding the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "I can't bring any names to mind," he sighed. "The extent I know of healers is that they also have the ability to rapidly heal themselves. Suggest to the Fire Lord that Aang's caretaker's place him in water. If that doesn't work, I will send for waterbenders from the Northern Tribe."

The soldier nodded, bowing and saluting him in the traditional Fire Nation style. "I apologize for interrupting you, Chief Hakoda. The Avatar was only found this morning, nearly dead."

Hakoda winced. "Return to Fire Lord Zuko. I need time to think."

"Yes, my lord," she answered, giving one last bow before wheeling around and striding off through the garden.

My mind was reeling. Aang, a fourteen-year-old boy, was _attacked?_

I turned to Hakoda, horrified. "Who could've done this to Aang?" I asked.

Hakoda didn't respond, a frown still gracing his features. He pursed his lips and stormed inside the house. I knitted my eyebrows as I quickly walked in after him.

"Hakoda?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

He just shook his head, balling his fists and ascending the stairs rapidly. I folded my arms across my chest, pausing at the base of the stairs.

"Hakoda, don't ignore me!" I exclaimed, frustrated and confused at his behaviour.

He halted and turned around, his blue eyes steely and cold. I flinched, terrified of what I was seeing in him.

"Aang was attacked by the Azkai," he stated flatly.

I blinked. "The Azkai are nothing but a _rumour_, Hakoda. The unrest of society is being blamed on this made-up organization too often."

"The Azkai are a real threat, Suiya!" he snapped, descending the stairs and bearing over me. I shrank back, submitting under his looming shadow. "Only unimportant officials have been attacked until now. The Avatar has had an attempt on his life. The details of his attack match all reports prior to this day: at night, no one sees or hears the culprits, none of the victims are willing to explain the details, and they are all outside the volcano crater. The Southern Markets are as far away from the volcano as it gets. I've overheard ambassadors saying that they've gotten death threats nailed to their front gates. The frequency of the tales of the Azkai has nearly doubled." He slapped a hand across his forehead. "How could I be so stupid to invite my children over here!" he growled.

I grabbed his wrists with trembling fingers and brought his hands away from his face. "Hakoda, it'll be okay. You need to calm down."

He shut his eyes, pressing his lips into a thin line. "I just...I thought the war was over. I thought peace would be imminent." He opened his eyes, heartbroken. "I just want to see my children again."

"And you will," I reassured, putting all of my strength into sounding sincere. "I want to see them as much as you do. The Azkai have never attacked inside the volcano; we are protected here. I'll hire more security guards. We'll invite Aang over when he feels better. I'll do whatever it takes to make them safe."

Hakoda shut his eyes, heaving a deep breath before looking at me again. "They could never be watched over every second. They need to learn to protect themselves," he said.

I nodded, looking at the floor as my mind searched for answers. "I know."

"Suiya, I'm leaving for the Northern Water Tribe."


	3. Night

**Against the Winds of Fate**

spockjasperzukowriting

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Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters. If I did, there would be seven books and a whole bunch of Zutara. **

**Thanks to all my wonderful readers for reviewing this and supporting it! And a great big hug to eleventy7 for beta-ing this. You always make it better!**

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**Three- **_**Night**_

THE BLUE SPIRIT

I held my sword to the man's throat. He shrieked, blabbering about how much his family needed the money. I sneered at him from behind my mask, keeping the movements silent. The robber burst into a fit of tears as I took a step forward, turning the other half of my Dao sword upwards in my left hand. I could feel the slivers of moonlight running along the end of my silhouette. I loved the effect the moon had on my appearance. I was not an outlaw in a mask but a spirit whose featureless face only enhanced the fear. I had the guide of the moon at my back and the still of the night as a cloak.

"Please," the robber begged, flinching at the sight of his victim glaring at him. By my side stood an old woman; she was dressed in rags equally sodden as his, dirtied by poverty and worn by age. She clutched the bag, possessing all her meagre savings, to her chest. She was clearly relieved to have it close to her heart once more.

"I'm desperate," he pleaded. "If you can help her, help me too! I promise, I meant no harm!"

I turned toward the woman and nodded towards her cheek. Running inches above her jawline was a shallow but wide cut. On the cobble-stoned street lay the dagger I had knocked from his hand. One half glinted brightly. The other half was stained red.

Tears dripped down the robber's sallow cheeks. "It was an accident!" he cried.

I shook my head, narrowing my gaze into the same shape of the eyes in my mask. The robber trembled and flinched away from me. It always surprised me how much people could really see inside the dark eye holes of my mask.

He scrambled to his knees and raised his hands in prayer. I extended my arm, the Dao blade pricking the nape of his neck. He sputtered out desperate words.

"Please, I have children! I'm begging you!"

He was getting too loud. I could almost hear people stirring from within the walls of the crudely made houses. People were such light sleepers down by the Eastern Markets. I preferred to patrol the inner volcano area. Much more inconspicuous. Despite the guards, I was less likely to get caught up there than down here. I didn't worry about the mouth of a guard as much as I did about the mouth of a peasant. If I defeated a soldier in a battle, they would remain silent out of shame. Civilians had no problem sharing their stories about the mysterious man in a mask.

I rocked forward on the balls of my feet, keeping my motions graceful. I didn't want to appear clumsy like a human. I was elegant like a spirit. I faced the old woman and nodded. She quickly scuttled off down the street, away from the scene of the assault and back to the hearth of her home.

I looked back at the man. He was mumbling his petty excuses, staring at the ground as his mind searched for answers. I felt a twinge of guilt deep within myself. As much as he deserved this, I hated to see someone so terrified.

I allowed a moment to pass, studying him deeply. What _did_ he deserve? He was sniveling, crying and begging for his life. I focused on the space between his words, the creases in his expression, and the emotions in his eyes. Was he lying? When he spoke of his starving family, he wasn't lying. But he had intended to hurt the woman if necessary to steal her money.

This man had a skewed outlook on the world but I couldn't hurt him.

I pulled back my swords and slipped them into the sheath strapped around my back. He gasped in surprise and looked up at me in mute shock.

_ You'll live on this night,_ I thought to myself. _But if I catch you again, you'll be going to Boiling Rock._

I wheeled around and took off down the street, leaving him stammering in the dust with his miserable life. I saw too many versions of him every night. It ate away at my patience. When would the attitude of these criminals change?

I shoved that thought from my mind. I was doing the Fire Nation a favour.

Whether they knew it or not.

I slid into the shadows, lifting myself into the air with silent movements and light footsteps. I kept my eyes trained ahead, looking for every possible route I could take around the lower level of the city. Every foot-hold was an option, offering opportunities of temporary support and balance. Possible paths wound through the dark environment, revealed to me only by the tendrils of light outlining the edges of the objects.

I leaped up onto a few crates, kicking off the wood and jumping up onto the roofs. I bent my knees when I landed, sinking temporarily into a crouch to absorb the shock and sound. I pressed forward, tilting my shoulders towards the tiles as I raced across the roof. I kept to the main arches of houses as I leapt between roofs. I used brief bursts of speed to clear several blocks of the city in a matter of seconds.

I dashed across one last roof-top before landing solidly on the ground, using one hand for support. I tapped my swords briefly to make sure that they were still there. As I ran, I kept low to the pavement and froze occasionally to make use of whatever camouflage I had.

I snapped my head up and stared at the long path snaking up to the summit of the volcano, spotting several groups of guards dawdling around the edges of the road leading up to the gates.

_ Agni,_ I cursed. I had forgotten that the later the hour, the more heavily guarded the palace became. I slunk away from the prying eyes of the soldiers striding lazily around the entrance to the pathway.

I put the need to breathe on hold as I quickly crept along the concrete, using my palms to strengthen my upper-body agility while only using my toes to impel my body forwards.

A female guard turned around as she slowly paced around the arch-way, her angular features sharpening into definition as she surveyed the crates I had just slipped behind. I peered at her through a crack in the wood while I flattened my back against the stone wall.

She turned slowly around on her heels and changed directions, not even bothering to glance around any more. Her steps were lazy and too weak to support her if someone were to ambush her from behind.

No wonder the Fire Nation lost the war. We would make any low-life guard these days.

I clenched my fists and averted my sight to the ground. I had a job to do. I couldn't waste my precious time demeaning lazy soldiers.

I released my breath quietly and then straightened up, throwing quick glances at the guard. She was leaning absently on her spear and staring up at the volcano, curious wonder in her eyes. I returned my attention back to the wall, grabbing a quick hold on the edge and pulling myself up.

Using the leverage of my wrist, I swung myself onto the top of the wall and steadied myself with my fingertips. The guard hadn't noticed that a wanted 'criminal' had perched himself on top of the very wall she was bound to protect.

I spared myself the trouble of letting the stress and worry settle into my shoulders and continued with my goal. I stood up, still keeping my knees bent as I took running strides towards the gates; I didn't let myself look over the side of the wall, at the sickening drop towards sharp boulders and imminent death. Chasing away shivers, I threw myself onto the arch of the gate, grabbing it only with my hands and letting inertia swing me onto the road. I let go and dropped onto the dirtied ground before spinning back around to the entrance to check if I was being followed.

The female guard was staring at me in shock, holding her spear away from her. I tensed and she dropped her weapon, her momentary surprise melting into anger and determination.

"The Blue Spirit!" she hissed between her teeth.

_ That's me, _I thought with feigned happiness.

She leaned back and adopted a basic firebending stance. "Don't move!" she ordered. "You're wanted by the Fire Nation for involvement in military affairs!"

I looked at the sides of the narrow road from the corners of my eyes. I had two options: distract her and then run or stand and fight. I shot my hand up to the hilt of my swords to test her reaction.

She changed her stance hurriedly, demonstrating the skittish attitudes belonging to most novices. She could be dangerous if I placed any more stress upon her. Inexperience almost always led to mistakes and uncontrolled fire burned freely with absolutely no restraint.

I twitched my fingers.

"I said don't move!" she yelled.

I rolled my eyes under my mask, standing up as I reached for my swords.

She twisted her torso and swept her hands out, shooting a blast of fire my way. I grabbed both swords and twirled them, deflecting the flames and filling the air between us with smoke.

She coughed as I turned on my heels and ran, bolting towards the serenity of the upper-city. _Option one then,_ I thought distastefully to myself as I slipped my swords back across my shoulders.

"Guards!" I heard her scream from behind me. She coughed as more smoke caught in her throat. "Blue…Spirit!"

I looked ahead to see other soldiers stiffening as they saw me. A couple more shouts ensued and the non-benders drew their weapons while the firebenders proceeded to shoot streams of whirling flame right at me.

I flipped over the first few jets of fire, twisting gracefully around and under the swords of two young soldiers. The first took a wide sweep at my chest, forcing me back as it barely missed my ribcage. Clamping my gloved fingers together, I snatched the blade from the soldier and hit his windpipe with a sharp jab of the handle. I paced my breathing as I dodged another stream of fire, gripping the firebender's wrist and twisting his arm around his back. He staggered, off-balance, and allowed me a window of time to render him unconscious. Cutting sharp corners to slide around my opponents, I took a running jump and launched myself high enough to bring my fist down upon the last firebender, causing his head to bounce back against a bordering slab of rock. He collapsed instantly to the ground.

I crouched down and looked back up at the gates of the palace city, the only escape I had now. The group of soldiers lay sprawled around me, bruises forming around their throats and foreheads. Their meagre wounds wouldn't take more than a few days to heal.

I flinched at the sound of shouts coming from behind me and grunted under my breath. Novices were so quick to call for back-up. I had to disappear once more into the night if I wanted to escape this skirmish unscathed.

I whirled around and drew my foot in the dust, fanning up a cloud to conceal my disappearance. Sucking in a quick breath through pursed lips, I darted forward into a silent run once more. I kept each step equal for balance and precision as the shouts started to dissipate behind me.

I grinned under my mask. _Foiled by the Blue Spirit, _I thought triumphantly to myself.

The gates were open just enough for me to slip through; the guards within sat by their fires and languidly whispered to each other on the walkways lining the wall tops. I slowed to a halt and bent low once again, leaping up over sharp rocks and slipping back into the shadows.

"The Blue Spirit! He's escaping!" called the female soldier I had just hindered.

The soldiers atop the wall looked up and over the teethed edges of the stone.

"Where?" a guard shouted.

Older soldiers trailed on the heels of the female guard as she came out to the base of the gates. She looked around, scowling in frustration.

"He was here!" she growled through her teeth. "He took down the soldiers at the midpoint. He has to be here somewhere!"

The guards atop the wall started laughing at her. "He's long gone," they chuckled. "The Spirit only shows himself if he wants to."

Saved by common superstition. My heart squeezed in humiliation I needed to be more careful than I was.

Stifling anger at my idiocy, I turned around and headed out along the wall. The spiky rocks allowed for an easy escape from the banter between the night-time guards.

I came across a little alcove in the rocks, rounded and smoothed out by years of weathering and erosion. The circular cliff was lined with hardened lava, causing sharpened edges to converge with the rippled slabs.

I sat down in the centre and sighed, rubbing the tense muscles on the back of my neck. What a way to start the evening. I let a robber go, I had been caught, and I was hiding like a hunted animal on the edge of the volcano.

I quickly examined my arms and legs. I wasn't harmed in any way, although I noticed frayed edges reaching out in a thin line across the lower-left half of my chest. I inclined my neck and looked down, cursing silently. The soldier that parried at me with his sword had sliced open the fabric. He had not managed to damage the thin under shirt beneath it but it was a messy rip. My abilities with a sewing needle severely limited the skill and precision of a possible repair.

I growled and held my head between my hands. I had been reckless tonight. Stress from the day-light hours was jumbling my thoughts. Often I felt like I was imploding. It wasn't just fatigue and little relaxation time slowing me down, but lack of something meaningful. I knew it wouldn't be soon before the guards captured me through my own carelessness.

The Blue Spirit couldn't afford to lack his usual meticulous nature. I couldn't be him while I was distracted like this.

I had to get home. I would do better tomorrow. I _had _to do better. Tonight just wasn't my night.

That thought greatly frustrated me.

* * *

The palace city was calm, perhaps eerily so.

I was used to stepping between the looming walls that encased the expansive houses of nobles. The moon, half draped in black, cast beams of light in geometrical forms along the streets. Yellow porch lights ballooned within estates, dimming as the night progressed onwards.

But as I walked along silently in the shadows, I couldn't help but be unnerved by how quiet the streets actually were. There was no life in them whatsoever. Usually there would be a howling dog in the far distance – maybe even a young couple strolling down the streets with their arms around each other.

But tonight, there was nothing. The silence left in the wake of the day was strained.

Something was about to happen.

I shook my head, berating myself internally. I was being paranoid. I was just alone and it was quieter than usual. I pushed aside my nagging instincts. Since when did this night-time activity make me so –

I jumped, ending my train of thought as I heard footsteps behind me. Turning to the direction of the owner, I leapt backwards into the umbra of the closest house.

A bald teenager came into view, running back and forth between houses; it took me only a moment to recognize him and recall his name. His eyes were panicked and he was searching frantically for something. The air around him moved as his breathing quickened, pulsing in time with what I knew was his flurried heartbeat.

"Katara!" the Avatar shouted. "Katara, where are you!"

I narrowed my eyes. The name was foreign to my ears, but he screamed it like it was the meaning of his life. Aang turned repeatedly around, stomping the ground as he found nothing yet again. The street rumbled slightly beneath him, sending tickling vibrations up my arms.

"Ugh, where are you?" he growled through his teeth.

"Aang!" an older voice said. A youth, clad in blue and white, skidded around a corner and dashed up to the Avatar, leaning over to catch his breath. His hair was pulled up into a Water Tribe wolf-tail and his eyes were a bright colour: Blue, maybe? My vision was limited in the feeble moonlight.

My heart skipped a beat; I knew for a fact that I had seen this Water Tribe teen before. His movements, posture and even his voice were all too familiar. I had seen him somewhere. Where was it? I scrambled through my memories for answers.

Aang's eyes widened. "Sokka! What happened? Did you find her?"

"Nothing yet," Sokka panted, straightening up to wipe his brow. "This city is huge. My sister could be anywhere."

Aang's expression became pained. "This is my fault, isn't it?" he sighed. Sokka looked around with a raised eyebrow.

"I can't judge that until I find her," he said. "If we really want to be thorough, you should get your glider and fly around. I'll keep looking on my own."

"My glider's back at the house. It will take a few minutes – "

"Katara probably doesn't have a couple minutes!" Sokka interrupted, gesturing wildly with his hands. "Go _now!_ I'll keep below you while you're airborne!"

Sokka wheeled around and headed back down the street, stopping to look around and frequently shout the name of his sister. Aang took a moment to collect himself first before speeding off in the distance. The air circled angrily around him as he bent it to power his run.

I took a moment to compile the information. Someone was missing. By the sound of their conversation, it was only recent. Sokka was obviously Water Tribe and didn't know the city very well. His sister would have the same level of knowledge about the city. She couldn't have gotten far. The entire layout of the city was ingrained in my head, pounded in daily ever since I could walk. Finding her would be easy for me.

I stood up, looking both ways to see if passage down the street was safe. I took a few steps back into the shadows before Sokka appeared again at the neck of the street, looking around in confusion.

"Gah, this place is a freaking maze!" he groaned. He looked about himself once more before giving a small snort. "No one better touch my sister."

My eyes widened and my breathing stopped. I was sucked back into a memory of long ago – the time I first found the Avatar.

_

* * *

I was staring deeply into the eyes of a young Water Tribe girl. Her neck was surrounded by white fur while the rest of her_ _darkened hair_ _was hidden beneath layers of blue parka. Her face was wrought with fear. I pulled her closely by the wrist, my heart thundering as I growled in her ear, "Oh no you don't." _

_ She clenched her teeth, stiffening away from my touch. My bare fingers were enveloped in the warmth __funneling_ _her sleeve. I returned the churning hate and sickening repulsion in her eyes, grabbing_ _her other wrist when she tried to pull back. _

_ "Don't touch my sister!" __From behind me came the scream of the young warrior who had dared to attempt an attack on us. I turned and ducked just in time to dodge a sailing boomerang aimed directly at my head. _

_ I pushed the girl back into the gaggle of what was left of the Southern Water Tribe and grinned at the fuming boy. He couldn't be more __pathetic, I thought as_ _I spun on my heels and gave one last look at the now frightened girl. My heart squeezed; she was actually quite beautiful. But I couldn't focus on pretty girls. I had the Avatar. Father would accept me. Life would be normal again._

_

* * *

_

I gasped as I became free of the gripping clutches of the memory once more. The girl...the girl that would haunt corners of my dreams for two years... She was missing. Her name was Katara.

There had been rumours for a while of Chief Hakoda's children coming to the Fire Nation. Up until now they were nothing but whispers on the street to me. But now, upon seeing the Avatar so worried for just one girl's safety, I knew what I had to do. Katara and Sokka were the Water Tribe's children and Katara was missing in a completely foreign city. The night had been quieter than usual. All facts led up to one terrifying and very real possibility.

The Azkai were about to have a new victim.

I had never seen the Azkai until now. I had witnessed the terrible aftermath of one of their attacks, but I was always too late to save the victims before death claimed them.

I had a chance now.

I had to find her.

Jumping up from my crouch and into a run, I saved up enough momentum to launch myself into the air and land onto the wall of a house. The shadows of the moon at my back, I sprinted across the thin wall and onto the roof of another house. I jumped between homes, gliding over the gaps like a real spirit. Listening desperately past the howl of wind in my ears for any sound to guide me, I heard a frightened cry cut out through the night.

_ Katara._

I slammed to a stop, turning around on my heals to absorb the force of the abrupt halt. Remaining still a moment longer to listen to the night, I could hear nothing. The scream was no longer in the air.

They had gotten her.

My eyes stung. I prayed in denial. I didn't want to leave another helpless victim to the wrath of a gang. I had failed too many times before.

I couldn't let this time be one of them.

I hurdled from the roof of the house and onto a wall, stepping off the edge and plunging to the ground. I twisted my neck around as I struggled to remember where Katara's cry had originated from. South.

I turned to that direction, dashing as fast as I could to her rescue as I prayed to Agni under my breath.

Stopping at an entrance to the Ye Wan fountain, I slipped back into the shadows to catch my breath and observe the scene before me. Ten figures, all clothed in black, surrounded a teenage girl with long mahogany hair and a blue dress. One figure held her up while a smaller, slender one backed away, a glowing orb clutched tightly in her hand. A moonstone?

"Don't touch me!" Katara screamed desperately, her eyes wide with fear. I trembled in rage, rooted to the spot as I waited for the right moment.

"Like _that'll_ stop us," chortled a man as he walked up to her side. "We're the Azkai! And you've just been introduced to your fate!"

She whimpered, slumping in exhaustion against the arms of the man holding her. "No... Sokka... Dad... Help me!" she attempted to call weakly. They quickly tugged her wrists behind her back, disabling a fight to prevent them from gagging and blindfolding her. Then they began to close in around her, not bothering to protect their backs.

Like the female soldier, they let their own pride protect them.

I smiled. "Not this time," I whispered.

I snapped a flame over my thumb, lifting it between my hands and balling it into a sphere. I let it grow until it was big enough before charging forward. I held the flame between my palms before spinning around and throwing it at them.

"What the – "

"_Look out!_"

The ball of flame exploded in the centre of group, knocking several figures onto the ground. The man holding Katara dropped her and wheeled around. As his gaze fixed on me, the bright gold eyes beneath his black hood widened in shock.

"Move!" he ordered to his fellow men. He stepped over Katara's limp body and kicked outwards in my direction, a streaming jet of fire extending towards me.

Keeping my movements quicker than they could see, I flipped over the fire, missing the pummeling flames by inches. I reached back and drew the swords from their sheath, using the gleaming metal blades to deflect oncoming attacks. Black figures dodged in and out of range, maneuvering themselves into various firebending stances. Carefully stepping around the moaning Water Tribe girl, I lifted my swords and cracked open a potted plant thrown at my head.

They fought hard, aiming directly at my chest for the kill with their blasts of power. I made mental notes on who could bend and who couldn't—only a select few figures seemed to possess the talent for our element. Others relied on acrobatic skills, flitting around me with the same skill I had worked to acquire. A slender member spun around me, clenching her gloved hands into pointed fists directed towards specific pressure points. I struggled to avoid her sharp jabs, sliding backwards as she reached out—but managed to evade her knuckles successfully when I nicked her wrist by accident.

Soon, everything became a blur. My sight slurred into a puddle of orange, yellow, black and navy as my brain began working on auto-pilot—up, down, dodge, slide, duck, jab, aim, twist left, twist right...

The only thing that managed to pull me from my violent daze were two gloved hands moving towards Katara—preparing to pick her up and take her away.

_Let go of her! _I screamed in my mind, charging forward and swiping an outreaching plane of fire towards the offender. The figure jumped back, flipping over the side of the fountain and setting a firebending stance. The challenge was accepted.

They were closing in on us. I stood over Katara, bending down to conserve energy for an attack. She was trying to wiggle free of the rope binding her hands, moaning something that sounded like, "Help..."

More flower pots flew towards my head, shattering as they met the sharpened edge of my sword and cascading down onto Katara. The jagged edges cut into her skin and dress, dying the elaborate clothing red in her own blood.

The Azkai were gaining on me. I couldn't take them all at once. I needed to strike hard into the centre of the group. I needed to find their leader. Damaging their plans would force them to retreat. _Who should I harm to gain the upper hand?_

"He's mine!" a high voice screeched, and a frail, pallid woman stepped out from between her comrades. The red, tattooed emblem of a Fire Lily glinted in the moonlight from her upper arm. Her raven hair webbed across her face and draped across her shoulders like a river of shadows.

I paused, my eyes widening beneath the wood of my mask as I met her golden eyes. _No...it can't be..._

I had no time to think. She had to be the leader. Her face was the only one revealed out of the entire group. She had weapons strapped across belts running all the way down her legs with blue flames running up her arms, sizzling along her silhouette. She was by far the more armoured in the group.

People didn't add extra protection to themselves unless they had something _worth_ protecting.

Finally. My way out.

I reached back instinctively and pulled out the dagger sheathed along the main case of my swords, rotating on my hips and throwing it at her stomach with as much force as I could muster.

The glistening white plate planted easily, squelching past her clothes and skin. She paled, the flames along her arms fizzing out as her vision dazed. Small tendrils of deep red liquid snaked down the handle and trickled onto the stone street before her.

"Sury!" one man gasped, flinching as he twisted towards her. "No!"

_Wrong name,_ I thought with a frown. _You lie._

She sucked in a tight breath and pulled down the dagger with shaking hands, whimpers of pain ripping through her clenched teeth. She trembled in rage and pain when she looked back up at me. Her eyes were wild with insanity, the emotions churning within them uncontrolled and burning with confusion.

"You will pay for this!" she shrieked, rocking unsteadily on her shaking legs. "This war will be started! And Katara's blood will be on _your _hands!"

I continued to stand straight in defiance. She no doubt recognized me as much as I recognized her. Her angular face was one of complete familiarity now that I had heard her speak. The direction of her threat was _very_ specific—she knew it was I as well.

She wavered, stumbling into the arms of the man who had called her cover-name. They quickly fled, diverging from the circle around me and back into the shadows down the street. One of them reached into their cloak and drew out the sickly white, glowing stone and dropped it onto the ground. A parting gift from the losing opponent. I had won the battle, wounding their pride enough to delay the war. They wouldn't be coming back any time soon.

Katara's heavy breathing reminded me of what I had to do.

I retrieved the Moonstone, clutching the silver chain between my fingers and dashed back over to her, crouching down behind her back. I quickly lowered my sword, carefully slicing at the cloth around her eyes. She blinked as the fabric fell free, her face contorting in fear as she took in the situation around her. I made a quick slash at the cord wrapped around her wrists and slipped it off, studying the fading colour in her arms. They had numbed her body entirely. She couldn't move anything. I didn't have a quick solution, but I knew returning the Moonstone to her would quicken the process. I reached up and lifted her head at the neck, placing the chain around her nape and resting the glowing rock in front of her bust. She started as the power began rivering the chi inside her once more. The stone began glowing happily, sparkling as it gained a healthy, moon-lit colour.

She coughed as I un-knit the gag hindering her breathing, shaking from the lack of control. I wound my fingers beneath her side and gently heaved her up, holding her beneath the arms and sitting her up against the cool side of the fountain. I took consideration not to touch the blackening bruises or the cuts stitching across her skin. I leaned her forward with the support of my left arm under her and quickly pinched the base of her spine, still out of her view. I knew that by doing so I should be able to return feeling to her. Her deep blue eyes stared ahead, open but unseeing.

She gasped and doubled over, no longer needing the support of my arm. I crawled backwards onto the rim of the fountain, watching as she kept her head between her knees. I let her take the reality of her situation in, hovering with my swords sheathed across my back while she focused her mind. She leaned back and observed herself, vibrating unsteadily.

I hung my head. She was in _pain._ I had to get her to safety before her misery worsened.

Katara then looked about her, searching for something. She turned and saw me, blinking uncomprehendingly. She looked up from my hands, jumping away and screaming in fright when she saw my mask. She crawled backwards, shredding her palms and dress as she struggled across the broken pottery fragments. I dipped my head in resignation—she had to know I was friendly.

"Who are you?" she sobbed, her voice weak with fright. I felt my forehead crease in concern under my mask, but made an effort not to move. I feared sudden movements would scare her.

She pushed herself to her feet, her knees buckling beneath her and her breathing quickening. She was in shock—her body was feeling but her mind was still numb. She would start panicking soon if she wasn't doing so all ready in her head.

She lifted her bleeding hands into the moonlight, cringing as the sight sickened her. She clenched her teeth as she looked around her—observing the fight scene. I stood up as her gaze was distracted, taking the opportunity to move safely.

"Please..." she pleaded, falling to her knees and staring at me hopelessly. "I need to get home..." Tears pelted down her cheeks in despair.

I carefully stepped down from the fountain, treading around the shards of clay as I approached her. She made no moves away from me—I assumed it was safe to touch her. I wound my arm under her waist and knees, pulling her up into my arms safely. Even through the barrier of cloth, I could still feel that her skin was cold. I knew from my ability to bend fire that I would have a raised body temperature, so I drew her closer reluctantly. She stared up at me fearfully but made no sound.

I looked around without turning my head, nervously expecting another ambush by ten black figures. But the night was utterly still. No one was about in the darkness. The night seemed somehow calmer, no longer fearful and suspenseful but defeated and pained.

Katara needed help. And I knew exactly who would provide it for her.

"Katara...!" I heard the Avatar cry in the distance. I looked up to see the triangle-shaped shadow of his glider dancing across the stars. I heard her brother shout desperately in an echo.

Katara was buried against my chest, one eye slightly opened as she looked around—she had heard the voices too. She was slowly going limp as her shock deepened. At least she wasn't panicking. The stress on her heart if she did wouldn't help her situation at all. She was losing enough blood as is.

I returned to the place I had last seen Sokka and Aang converse together, leaning down to rest Katara in a patch of moonlight not far from where I had previously crouched to watch their exchange. I gently made sure she was comfortable against the hard surface, brushing her now burning forehead to check her temperature. She would be okay. Her life was safe to now.

I felt her slender fingers wrap around the collar of my shirt, pulling me towards her face. "Thank you," she whispered, settling back against the wall of the house.

I grimly nodded, gently taking her fingers from my shirt as I stood back. I looked up into the sky—Aang needed a signal if he was to find her. I shot my hand out, shooting fire up into the heavens. I flexed my fingers as the jet exploded into a multitude of heat variations, reacting colourfully in the clouds. The glider immediately turned in the direction the signal had originated. I looked back at the drained young Water Tribe girl. Her eyelids were drooping and her head hanged forward. Her battered body was fading quickly.

"Sokka, over there!" Aang called, angling down from the sky for a landing. I looked the other way to see the other Water Tribe sibling running as fast as he could in our direction. I slipped back into the shadows, hiding from their prying eyes in the layers of darkness.

"Katara!" Sokka sobbed in relief, tears purging from his eyes and down his high cheeks as he arrived her, dropping to his knees and sliding over to his sister. He pulled her roughly into his arms as he saw her condition, hugging her desperately as if to squeeze life back into her. My heart skipped a beat as he started to cry, pursing his lips to hide his sobs as he withdrew and asked, "Katara, are you okay?" He searched into her eyes as Aang landed behind him, spinning his glider back into a staff.

"Oh gods..." he gasped, flinching back at what he saw. "Katara, who did this to you?"

Sokka squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away, shaking in anger and balling handfuls of his sister's ruined dress. "Hakoda!" he cried in betrayal. "HOW COULD YOU?"

"Sokka, this is bad," Aang asserted, stepping forward. His expression was heartbroken. "She's losing blood. We need to get her back to the house."

Katara whimpered, feebly dropping forward into her brother's arms as she passed out.

"Umpf," Sokka grunted under her weight, biting his lip as he lifted her up flaccidly into his arms. His expression became more burdened as his strength did. "Go get dad. Tell him that we've found her, and that she's hurt. Badly."

"I should take her," Aang said, snapping his glider back out again. "She's needs medical help right away."

Sokka looked reluctantly down at his younger sister. He shut his eyes and then nodded, gently lifting her into Aang's arms. "Be careful with her," he reminded, trying to sound strong through his inner hurt. A line of blood stretched across his clothes were his sister had been, red puddles splotching across his chest.

"I will," Aang promised, positioning Katara against him and preparing for flight.

"Make sure not to touch her wounds. I think I saw broken pieces of stone in them," Sokka pitched, his lip shaking nervously.

"I won't," Aang replied, taking a deep breath to concentrate.

"And Aang?" Sokka asked as the Avatar looked back at him.

"What is it, Sokka?"

The Water Tribe youth looked down, ripping his features into a murderous glare. "Don't let Hakoda touch her. Don't even let him near you. Tell him only that she's hurt and that I want to talk to him."

Aang looked fearful. "Sokka, this isn't—,"

"Yes it is!" he bellowed, looming over the Avatar angrily. He pointed rigidly in the direction of their house. "Get her back now!"

Aang nodded shallowly and then jumped into the air, bending currents under the wings of his glider as he lifted into the sky. I watched him fly away in wonder before returning my attention to the seething teenage boy.

Sokka ran his hands through his hair, whispering brokenly, "It feels like mom all over again..."

I cocked my head sideways, my interest snagged. What had happened to their mother?

Sokka looked up at the half-moon, slumping his shoulders dejectedly. "Please, spirits...if you are out there, protect my sister. I—I can't lose her. Not now. If you have...any consideration for me at all, you would save her."

_All ready have,_ I answered in my mind.

He averted his gaze towards the ground once more. "The Azkai," he grumbled, his emotions turning angry once more. "Marrying Suiya. Leaving us alone in the South Pole. Hakoda just leaves us one problem after the next." He then took off into the distance, disappearing around a street corner.

I stepped out of the shadows cautiously, looking down in the direction he had left. So his new step-mother was Senator Suiya? I knew her family well. They had been loyal friends of the royal family for years.

But I couldn't waste my time speculating the relations of families. Katara was safe. The first part of my duty was done.

I needed to do something else to complete the last part of my duty.

I turned around and headed back in the direction of the Ye Wan fountain. I needed to survey the crime scene. I couldn't alter it in any way—it was all the evidence the Fire Lord would ever need to finally prove that the Azkai exist. Katara's blood was spilled across the cobblestone, with broken pots and burn marks littering around the place she had lay. The fight scene was as real as it could've gotten.

I smiled under my mask. I knew that there was hope for both the Fire Lord and Katara after this ordeal was over. Maybe the government could finally arrest the Azkai and have the gang over with once and for all.

* * *

I stopped in the place I had stood over Katara at the left most side of the fountain. I gazed sadly down at the splattered pool of blood in front of my feet, pressed into the stone in the shape of her body. I stepped over where I imagined her body lay, navigating my way between the fragments of broken pots and the small mounds of where their contents fell. There were empty places where the pots had been in the lining of the small flower bends circling the round-about. I bent down and carefully skimmed my fingers thoughtfully over the dark burn marks stretching across the pale stone. The marks curved and flickered down the ground in the pattern of a raging fire emanating from where I had stood.

I shut my eyes, re-envisioning the ball I had thrown in the centre of the group to divert their attention exploding beneath my fingers. The fire plumed outwards into the corners of my lids, hitching my breath. I opened my eyes, standing up and walking over to the place my bloodied dagger lay. The pearl blade was drenched in the leader's blood. I crouched down and picked it up from the hilt, finding the balance in the craft of the weapon, keeping it level with the strength of my wrist.

I wiped it on the ground, taking off the blood before it would stain. I lifted the now clean blade into the moonlight and read the inscription: "Never give up without a fight."

The phrase was especially relevant to what I had done not long ago. The Azkai had wanted her dead—badly. They had stopped at almost nothing to continue fighting. They weren't going to let her go as easily as I would've liked. I wouldn't have gotten them to retreat unless the leader had exposed herself...

_Sury... _I thought distastefully. _So, Azula, you've chosen a new cover-name. You could've picked one with more flare. _

I hung my head, clenching the hilt in frustration. Azula had a way of getting what she wanted. And that list now included Katara's blood.

But why a meagre Water Tribe girl? What had she done wrong?

Azula had mentioned something about a war. The war. Is that all the Azkai wanted? To re-start the war? To witness the endless blood loss and vengeance consuming the three remaining nations?

Katara was important to vengeful people. Chief Hakoda would surely renounce all treaties at the news of his only daughter's death. Her brother, Sokka, would now try to get her out of the Fire Nation as quickly as possible. And the Avatar...

She was special to the Avatar. I could tell something was different with him. The way he looked at her, the way he held her...even the way he had spoken her name. Something was off. As if she was his only tender spot. The Avatar wouldn't tolerate the assassination of someone precious to him.

Even after the war, everything awkwardly imbalanced. The slightest pressure to the formation everyone was trying to build up would tear down the infrastructure.

I stood up and sheathed the dagger in its case, tilting my head back to look at the moon. Grey patches dotted across the brilliant white surface—the scars from years of bombardment from comets and space debris.

I reached up and touched the area over the left side of my mask, just barely running my fingers under the eye hole as the skin beneath flared.

You didn't need to know me that well to tell that I too was scarred—damaged from the years of pain and agony behind me.

Now Katara would have tiny scars of her own. Scars for life—marks left like a crime scene across her skin from her wounds.

But I knew other wounds would form. Injuries that cannot be seen. She'll have inward signs of her hurt, not just outward ones. I remember when I had my own internal, emotional bleeding. She'd begin having that too.

Who would help heal her? Who would help protect her when the Azkai decide to strike again?


End file.
